NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. (February 12, 2018) – Dr. Jonathan Brice, an education expert with 25 years’ experience, including with the U.S. Department of Education, has been chosen by the New Rochelle Board of Education to head the independent Task Force on Reducing Violence in the Lives of Children and Youth that the Board is establishing in conjunction with the city.

For members of the community interested in joining the Task Force, the District has also established an online form for community members to apply. The Task Force is one of several initiatives the District and City have implemented and continue to put in place following the violent incidents involving New Rochelle High School students last month.

“Dr. Brice’s background makes him uniquely suited to take on this important role,” said Board of Education President Rachel Relkin. “With his appointment, the Task Force is well-positioned to fulfill its mission to reduce violence among youth in New Rochelle and make our community a better place for every student.”

Dr. Brice’s 25 years’ experience as a teacher, school leader, and district administrator in six large public school districts make him uniquely qualified to lead this effort. He currently serves as the Associate Superintendent for Student and Family Support and Engagement for Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland.

Dr. Brice also brings a national perspective, having served as Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education for The United States Department of Education. In this role, he provided leadership in programming in several areas, including bullying prevention. He also helped the Department launch its Family and Community Engagement Framework and strategy, and served as a team member for the President’s My Brother’s Keeper Initiative.

With Dr. Brice’s appointment, the Task Force will be established in the coming days and is expected to consist of approximately 25 to 30 members. The Task Force will bring together the city, social services, non-profit and faith-based organizations, law enforcement, community members, and the schools, including students. While some positions must be reserved for specific designees from various agencies, several seats will be filled from among applicants in the community.

“We’re looking for volunteers who are willing to make the commitment and are passionate about reducing youth violence in New Rochelle,” Relkin said.

The Task Force will examine how conditions, policies and practices of the School District and the City impact student safety on and off campus. It will make specific recommendations for how to reduce bullying and violence in the lives of children and youth; ensure a safe, nurturing learning environment; and strengthen the safety of New Rochelle schools and the surrounding community.

For more information and to apply to be a member of the Task Force, please visit the designated page on the district’s website. Applicants will be asked to provide basic information and a statement about why they want to join the Task Force. The deadline to apply is February 18, 2018.

In addition to participation from City and School officials, Dr. Brice will select Task Force members with an effort to include diverse perspectives – including law enforcement, parents, school representatives and students, city representatives, and non-profit organizations. Final selections will be announced on February 22, 2018 and the first Task Force meeting will occur by the end of February.

“I am pleased to work with the New Rochelle community to listen, learn, and develop recommendations that will add to the Board of Education options to improve supports for students,” Dr. Brice said.

About the City School District of New Rochelle

With nearly 11,000 students in 10 schools, the City School District of New Rochelle, through an active partnership amongst community, parents, staff and students, provides a high-quality and challenging education for every child, in a safe, nurturing environment that embraces rich diversity and drives success.

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City School District of New Rochelle

Statement on Sentencing of John Gallagher, Feb. 14, 2018

February 14, 2018

The City School District of New Rochelle applauds the sentencing today of John Gallagher in U.S. District Court in White Plains for taking kickbacks from an outside contractor in connection with facilities management services provided to the School District. Gallagher was sentenced to 37 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release. We are gratified that the sentence includes $125,000 in restitution to the District from Gallagher.

Gallagher was an employee of ARAMARK Management Services Limited Partnership, which for many years, starting in the mid-1980s, held contracts to provide the School District with facilities management services. The District’s relationship with ARAMARK and Gallagher ended before Gallagher was arrested and indicted. Since then, facilities management in the District has been handled by highly qualified School District personnel.

City School District of New Rochelle

Webster and Columbus Magnet Open Houses & Lottery Rescheduled

Columbus Open House - Thursday, March 1, at 6:00 p.m.

Webster Open House - Thursday, March 1 at 7:00 p.m.

Applications Due Friday, March 9 at 4:30 p.m.

Lottery will be held on Thursday, March 22 at 9:00 a.m., City Hall, Board Room

City School District of New Rochelle

City School District of New Rochelle Partners with Anonymous Alerts®

District opens reporting website, will launch app. Both will allow students to anonymously report incidents directly to school officials

The City School District of New Rochelle announced at its Board of Education meeting January 30th that it is partnering with Westchester County-based Anonymous Alerts®, an award-winning anti-bullying and safety reporting mobile app and system for students, community members and staff.

Anonymous Alerts® is a patented anonymous two-way communications® system that empowers students to anonymously report bullying and harassment, weapons, drug/alcohol usage and other safety concerns directly to school officials.

On January 30th, the school district launched the reporting website: https://www.anonymousalerts.com/newrochelleps/. This site can also be found through a link on the District website’s homepage, http://www.nred.org/, under “Important Resources” and school home pages. Once the app is launched, the school district will make an announcement to students.

School district officials stressed that Anonymous Alerts® is a reporting system to district and building administrators. It is not meant for use in emergencies. People in an emergency should continue to call 9-1-1.

The new technology at students’ fingertips will help them to anonymously discuss sensitive topics, have compassion for others, and learn self-awareness about issues confronting today’s youth. Administrators will get an app of their own called the Anonymous Alerts Incident Management app to anonymously respond to students, track incidents and take notes.

In the near future, students, parents and staff will be able to directly download the Anonymous Alerts® app for free and gain access with a simple activation code provided by the school district, to send reports anonymously to school officials.

“With the development of this partnership, the Board of Education and the school district administration will empower students to be engaged citizens and easily voice any bullying or safety concerns they may have to the school administration,” said Superintendent Dr. Brian Osborne.

“The Board of Education has heard the concerns from our parents and community,” said Board President Rachel Relkin. “The school district has always strived for increased openness and communication among its students, parents and staff and this app will further the district’s mission.”

Monitoring hours for the system will be during school days between the hours of 7 a.m. and 5 p.m.

“We are excited to help encourage students in the City School District of New Rochelle to voice their concerns to school administration and take a stand against bullying or harmful behavior with our cutting-edge technology,” said T. Gregory Bender, President & CEO of Anonymous Alerts, LLC.

Anonymous Alerts® serves more than 5,000 schools across the United States.

About Anonymous Alerts®

The Anonymous Alerts®award-winning mobile applications were developed to encourage students to quickly report bullying and other safety concerns on school and college campuses. Bullying, cyberbullying, drug use/dealing, depression, safety threats, and more can all be reported directly to authorized personnel through easy-to-use mobile apps and a hosted website. The mobile apps and systems are completely customizable for each client. Anonymous Alerts® is Patented (U.S. Patent No. 9,071,579) with additional patents pending. Anonymous Alerts, LLC is based in White Plains, NY and is rapidly growing throughout the United States and abroad. For more information, please visit www.anonymousalerts.com or call 914-220-8326.

City School District of New Rochelle

District Moves Forward with Safety Measures

The City School District of New Rochelle continues to add safety and security measures, now aided by input from a community information meeting that filled the Whitney M. Young Jr. Auditorium in New Rochelle High School.

“I want to assure everyone that the valuable input we gathered will help guide the District as we continue to adopt measures that hold the safety of our students as our top priority,” Superintendent Dr. Brian Osborne said after the Tuesday meeting.

The community session and the new measures followed three violent incidents involving High School students this month.

Board of Education President Rachel Relkin announced at the meeting that the Board will hire a top-level security company to conduct a review of all practices and policies that affect school and student safety. The Board will also join with the city to establish a task force of School District and City officials, first-responders, parents, students and other community representatives. The task force will examine school and city policies that directly or indirectly impact safety on and off school grounds.

“A safe learning environment is essential to ensure that we fulfill our mission to prepare all students to be successful in college, career and beyond,” Relkin said in the community meeting.

Among the safety and security measures in the works and under consideration, Osborne is proposing the creation of a new position, Executive Director of Security – an expert in the field of security who would be empowered to supersede school officials and assume command if an incident should occur.

Student registration will be centralized for tighter controls on verifying the residency of new entrants. Also, a re-registration process will be in place by early next school year, requiring students to re-affirm their eligibility for District enrollment at certain points in their school careers.

High School students will gather on Monday in the Whitney M. Young Jr. Auditorium for assemblies about the new safety and security procedures under controlled access posture. Students will not be allowed off school grounds for lunch and free periods.

At Osborne’s request, the security guards had conducted searches of some students entering school chosen by a computerized random selection process. Those searches were halted this week.

The District is also planning to launch an app that will allow students to anonymously report bullying or other unacceptable behavior to appropriate personnel.

Relkin also announced a way that people can help if they feel they want to do something positive. Regional volunteer group Volunteer New York! has established a page for New Rochelle activities (www.volunteernewyork.org/newrochelle) to foster community togetherness.

City School District of New Rochelle

MEDIA STATEMENT – Jan. 19, 2018

Rachel Relkin, President of the New Rochelle Board of EducationDr. Brian Osborne, Superintendent, City School District of New Rochelle

It was invaluable to hear from so many New Rochelle community members at last night’s Board of Education meeting in City Hall. As the Board of Education President and the Superintendent of Schools, we would like to assure District residents that we heard your concerns.

This input will be invaluable as the City School District of New Rochelle and the City of New Rochelle begin a comprehensive review of District policies and practices that surround student safety and security. We will do everything we can to ensure that the solution-oriented review leads to concrete actions to ensure the safety of our students.

We now have specific measures to ensure the safety and security of our students. Access to New Rochelle High School is being strictly controlled and enforced. The City is providing uniformed police officers, assigned to the primary access points surrounding the high school. Uniformed police officers are inside the high school. Random searches are also being conducted of students entering the school.

In addition, police presence and visibility along North Avenue south of New Rochelle High School is enhanced during hours when students tend to congregate or travel to and from school.These measures will be in place until further notice.

We would also like to welcome the community to come to the District’s information session on safety and security on Tuesday, Jan. 23, at 7 p.m. in the Whitney M. Young Auditorium at New Rochelle High School, 265 Clove Road.

City School District of New Rochelle

Jefferson, NRHS Students Create Mural

A new mural hangs outside the art room at the Jefferson Elementary School, created by fifth-grade Jefferson students and members of the New Rochelle High School National Art Honor Society.

"What better way is there to do service than by working with the younger students of our community?" said Jefferson art teacher Paolo Fiorino. "The idea was to give elementary school children a chance to visit the high school setting and learn some art concepts from the older students. Also, it hopefully piqued their interest and instilled in them a desire to continue in the arts as they grow."

Forty students from Jefferson and NRHS created the mural. The artwork covers eight plywood panels, each 2 feet by 4 feet. The panels illustrate each of the seven elements of art: line, color, shape, form, space, texture and value. The eighth panel features the mural's title: Elements of Art.

"We painted the panels at New Rochelle High School," said NRHS art teacher Alexi Brock. "At Jefferson Elementary School, the students planned out and gave a short oral presentation of each panel explaining the Element of Art to the class and the principal."

The students completed the panels over two morning sessions, one at NRHS and one at Jefferson. When the panels were completed, district carpenters installed them at Jefferson.

City School District of New Rochelle

Statement on Alleged Social Media Threat Following Tragic Stabbing

The City School District of New Rochelle issued the following statement on Jan. 10, 2018:

We are aware that a specific alleged threat against New Rochelle High School was circulated on social media. The New Rochelle Police Department, with cooperation from the District, investigated the alleged threat and determined it to be unfounded. Thank you to those who brought the matter to our attention.

(For a letter to the community regarding the stabbing, see the previous post.)

City School District of New Rochelle

BOE Urges Continuation of CHIP, DACA programs

The New Rochelle Board of Education urged Congress and President Trump last week to continue two federal programs that help many children obtain health insurance and protect undocumented residents from deportation if their parents brought them to the United States when they were young.

The Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) was created in 1997 to provide coverage for children in families that did not qualify for Medicaid and could not afford private insurance. The program is credited with reducing the rate of uninsured children from 14 percent when it began, to 7 percent in 2012.

In late December, federal lawmakers passed a stopgap measure that funds CHIP through the first few months of 2018, but they have not reached a deal to permanently continue the program.

The board passed a resolution Tuesday calling for CHIP to be continued. A second resolution supported undocumented aliens protected by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, also known as Dreamers.

The DACA action reinforced a resolution passed by the board Oct. 3, after the Trump Administration announced that the program would be phased out. The program is set to expire March 5; anyone whose DACA protection would have ended before then had until Oct. 5 to apply for a two-year extension.

"The level of urgency ratchets up each and every day," said Superintendent Dr. Brian Osborne.

"I'm proud of the fact that we are using our voice as a body," said Board of Education Member Todd Kern as the board voted on both resolutions. "As often as we can, we should do this."

In addition to making the board's views known to key officials, Kern said, "We're also communicating to folks in our community what it is that we value."

The resolutions are being sent to: President Trump; U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions; key members of Congress; U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos; Westchester County Executive George Latimer; New York State Board of Regents Chancellor Dr. Betty Rosa; and New York State Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia.

They are also being sent to the New York State School Boards Association and the Westchester-Putnam School Boards Association.

Julia Muggia Ochs, President of the New Rochelle PTA Council, thanked the board for taking the actions.

"These two programs directly impact the health and security of many of our District's students, and I thank you for advocating for them in this powerful way," she said. "It is comforting to know that our Board of Education and District administration are doing all they can to support our families at the local, state, and national level."

City School District of New Rochelle

New System Tracks Building Condition Issues

As a way of keeping the City School District of New Rochelle facilities in the finest shape they can be for the benefit of students, staff, and community members, the City School District of New Rochelle has introduced a new tracking system for school facilities issues and complaints.

The form is accessible by first visiting this link, www.nred.org/RESCUE, which brings users to the district's "Health and Safety Presentations and Reports" page. Users should scroll down to the lower right side of the page, looking for the word "ATTENTION." The "click here" prompt will take users to the Building Health and Safety Notification System page where forms can be downloaded.

"Facilities staff are trying to do their best to keep all of our facilities in good repair, but we simply cannot be in all places at all times," said Carl Thurnau, director of facilities. "One goal of the complaint-tracking system is to allow any members of the general public who see our facilities while visiting our schools, playgrounds, sporting events, theater productions, and so on, the opportunity to notify the facilities department of an issue that they believe should be corrected. The facilities department can then receive these issues, prioritize them and correct them as quickly as possible."

The system also features an electronic response, allowing users to feel confident their concerns were received by the district.

In addition, by clicking on the "Condition Report" button, users can learn the status of items currently being addressed at all school buildings.

"This system will allow us to receive and respond to your concern and track its status from initiation through completion," added Thurnau, in a note posted on the district's website. "We look forward to working together to keep our facilities in the best shape they can be."

Update on Model Congress Event

Re: Model Congress event

This letter was sent by the Executive Board of the New Rochelle High School Model Congress in reference to the March 23-24 Model Congress event scheduled to include participation by the Hewlett-Woodmere Union Free School District, Oceanside Union Free School District, Seaford Union Free School District, Long Beach City School District, Herricks Union Free School District, East Meadow Union Free School District, Lawrence Union Free School District and Wantagh Union Free School District:

2/16/18

Dear Advisors and Parents of United Model Congress,

It has come to our attention that many of you have reservations with sending your students to New Rochelle Model Congress this year in light of the adversity that our city has recently faced. In fact, we have been informed that several delegations will not be attending the event this year, despite numerous letters and phone calls from our advisors and principal, reaffirming that our school, and city at large, are indeed safe places to send your students.

Your reluctance is reasonable — over the past few months, New Rochelle has been painted with a broad brush. Local and national news outlets have falsely portrayed New Rochelle High School as a being school that is plagued with chaos and violence. If this is all you knew about New Rochelle High School, we would understand why you would not want to send your students to New Rochelle Model Congress this year. However, this is not the case. This will be New Rochelle’s 54th Model Congress event, making it the oldest Model Congress organization in the country. New Rochelle Model Congress has existed for 54 years, devoid of any scandals or problems. Model Congress plays such an integral role in the lives of so many of its participants, and every year, students from across the State of New York look forward to New Rochelle Model Congress, an event that culminates our successful year of debating and growing as individuals. Seniors cherish their time at New Rochelle Model Congress when they are able to deliver their senior speeches, one last expression of how much the club means to them.

It saddens us that this year will be different. It saddens us that students will not be able to experience their last Model Congress event, something many look forward to from their freshman year onward. And, of course, it saddens us that we will not be able to enjoy our own Model Congress event in the presence of many of our peers from other delegations. But, most of all, it saddens us that our school, the place where we spend most of our time, has been deemed unsafe by members of other school communities that we have grown so close to over the past four years. We admire the lengths you all would go to to keep your children safe. And if we thought New Rochelle’s newfound portrayal was warranted, we would not blame you for telling your children not to attend our event. But all we ask of you is this: please do not let the acts of a handful of children, none of whom are involved with Model Congress, determine the reputation of a school that has over 3500 students. Please do not deduce that New Rochelle, our home, is a dangerous place, simply because that is how it has been portrayed by the media. Finally, please permit your students to attend New Rochelle Model Congress this year.

If any parent, advisor or school administrator has reservations about sending their child to our Model Congress event, we encourage them to visit New Rochelle High School at 10 a.m. on February 26 for a tour and discussion.

All-County Chorus Rehearsal

Erev Purim

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